Over the years I have helped protect many of these wood flour producers. This fire was likely caused by the dryer. Although many are also started in the grinding process. For a wood flour composite extrusion process like this, they will typically dry wood flour to just below combustion point, creating a highly flammable combustible material and dust in the process.

They will typically use pneumatic conveying of the dried wood flour from the dryer to the process. Depending on how the conveying, collection and storage systems are designed, this wood flour can also agglomerate and create stalactites and material build-upwithin the ductwork at any joints, elbows and transitions, and also any joints or corners of the dust separator or collector. These stalactites can super heat in the hot air stream from the dryer, creating red-hot ignition points within the ductwork and collector.

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